INAUGURAL MEETING OF SOUTHERN NIGERIA GOVERNORS’ WIVES ENDS IN OWERRI.

The two-day meeting of the wives of the governors of states in the Southern part of Nigeria has ended in Owerri, Imo State.

The First Ladies operating on the platform of wives of Southern Governors Forum came to Imo State yesterday for their inaugural meeting.

Receiving the First Ladies at the Government House, Owerri shortly after their arrival, the Imo state Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha charged them to ensure peace among their husbands (governors), adding that political affiliation has no tangible role to play when it comes to quality leadership.

The governor told the governors’ wives, “It is commendable that wives of governors in the southern part of the country could come together under one umbrella to talk about the way forward. This is the beginning of a new story in Nigeria.”

The governor continued “I appreciate all of you for coming together under one umbrella irrespective of political party affiliation to champion a course for the good of the nation. That is why I see women as unique creatures from God and any nation that undermines their potential is bound to fail.”

His words, “The nation starts with the family. I would not have become a governor if I had no family. Ideal families bring about ideal nation. Nigeria should work towards restoring family values. The Forum should create a programme that would enable them discuss issues of family. As governors’ wives, you are in a better position to address the issue of family and unity among the women.”

He added “you should revisit the issue of family values in your meeting. When the family is right, the village is right, when the village is right the local government is right, when the local government is right the state is right and when the state is right the nation is right.”

Governor Okorocha also thanked other governors’ wives for honouring his wife by electing her first among equals’ adding that women do exploits when they come together.

In her speech earlier, the chairperson of the forum, and the wife of the Imo state Governor, Nneoma Nkechi said, they were in the state for the two-day inaugural meeting of the forum which was formed with the express permission of the wife of the president, Her Excellency Aisha Buhari.

She stated, “We are in the state for our inaugural meeting. The wife of the president instituted the forum. And we cannot do it alone without the support of the governors in the zone. We therefore appeal that you talk to your fellow governors to give support to the forum to enable it succeed.”

She stated that the task before the forum is enormous and as such requires the support of their husbands who are the governors to move the forum forward and help them achieve the lofty ideals of forming the forum.

The Imo First Lady thanked her colleagues from Southern Nigeria for unanimously electing her as their Chairperson and for showing her great love since elected, promising that she would not let them down.

In the communiqué arising from the meeting which was presided over by the Chairperson of the forum, Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha and read by the wife of Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun, the women said, they would use the Forum as a mechanism to strongly support the programmes and activities of the wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Hajia Aisha Buhari.

The communiqué further read thus “to compliment the giant strides of the Southern governors for the overall development of the society and to promote unity and peaceful co-existence among the Southern States of Nigeria.”

It also read that “members of the Forum will aim at impacting positively on the lives of women, children, youths and the vulnerable in our local communities and beyond and to identify with and stand by members of the Forum at all times.”

The Forum equally agreed to carry out Girl child education and deal with child labour issues while promoting women empowerment initiatives, health issues and to build a secretariat for the Forum.

The following First Ladies were in attendance, Her Excellencies, Nkechi Ikpeazu (Abia), Monica Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Sherigat Aregbasola (Osun), Martha Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Edith Okowa (Delta), Olufunso Amosun (Ogun), Rachael Dickson (Bayelsa), Bolari Ambode (Lagos), Florence Ajimobi )Oyo), Osodieme Ebele Obiano (Anambra) and the host, Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha (Imo).